Whiting: No conflict in new HMRC non-exec role
John Whiting rubbishes claims of a potential conflict of interest between his current CIoT post and his upcoming role with HMRC
OUTGOING CIoT tax policy director John Whiting does not foresee any conflict between his current role and his upcoming non-executive directorship at HM Revenue & Customs.
Whiting will cease employment at the CIoT and take up the post with the Revenue on 1 April. He will, however, assist in handing over to his successor, although no one has yet been selected. His role as head of the Office of Tax Simplification will be unaffected as it is a unit within the Treasury.
Whiting said: “I am leaving the [CIoT] payroll. CIoT and ATT have plenty of full-time employees from Revenue and Treasury who volunteer with them, so I’ll be sitting on committees and I’ll be involved and I’ll be listening.
“HMRC have a huge number of challenges in front of them and one of the reasons I’m interested in joining is I’d like to help them see their way through some of those challenges. HMRC has had a lot of change and from what I can see, they have an excellent team in place and it would be good to work with that team for a good period.”
Whiting – a former president of the institute – joined the CIoT in 2009 as tax policy director before assuming his role with the Office of Tax Simplification alongside his CIoT responsibilities in June 2010. Previously, he was a tax partner with PwC for 25 years. He was awarded an OBE in 2008 for his services to the tax profession.
Alongside Whiting, HMRC also appointed RWE Npower group chief executive Volker Beckers and former Wm Morrisons Supermarkets group HR and communications director Norman Pickavance as non-executive directors.
The three will take on the roles vacated by John Spence, who left last year, Phil Hodkinson, who will leave at the end of January, and Ian Barlow, who will become the lead non-executive director.
